Many in Britain will have been surprised by a report on Wednesday identifying a “shadow industry of law firms and advisers” helping migrants stay in the country by pretending to be gay. Not because of the story itself, but because it was published—and, indeed, investigated—by the BBC.
Such practices have undoubtedly been going on outside of the gaze of the establishment press for some time, prompting The National Pulse managing editor Jack Montgomery to jibe: “The only shocking thing about this is that the BBC ran the story.”
Others said the prominent coverage of the story, which featured for some time on Wednesday morning as the first article on BBC News’ home page, suggested a shift even in the mainstream narrative on migration.
The corporation says that migrants whose visas are due to run out “are being given fake cover stories and instructed in how to obtain fabricated evidence, including supporting letters, photographs, and medical reports.” Some have even used membership of the Conservative Party’s LGBT organisation to support their claims! Perhaps more significantly, the broadcaster describes this as “the first part” of its “major undercover investigation,” suggesting that much more is yet to come.
Barrister Steven Barrett also responded to reports by saying that those legal advisers who have been found out “should not be lawyers.”
A government spokesman told the BBC that “any attempt to misuse protections designed for people fleeing genuine persecution because of their sexuality is deplorable,” and insisted: “The asylum system is built on robust safeguards to ensure every claim is rigorously and fairly assessed.”
Yet reports at the same time show smuggling gangs are also circulating ‘how-to guides’ to sneak illegal migrants into Britain, no doubt successfully, and that some migrants are lying about their nationality to gain asylum. All this appears to be totally out of the government’s hands.
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
